The invention is concerned with a covering for large, heavy objects and, more particularly, to covers for the long term storage of military equipment, armored cars, vehicles and the like.
It is a known practice, as can be seen from published United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2,038,776A and German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,206,819, to cover vehicles, e.g., military equipment and armored cars, during non-use with sheeting, to ensure that these items of equipment can be stored for longer periods without showing signs of corrosion. This is carried out by standing the vehicle on a ground sheet which is bounded by a frame. The vehicle is then covered with a second sheet or tarpaulin, the ends of the sheet being attached to the frame. It is almost impossible to ensure lasting impermeability. Any unsoundness, however, allows dampness to penetrate, with the result that the menace of corrosion cannot be prevented. Difficulties are also encountered in spreading the sheet over the standing vehicle in such a way that it is not damaged or overstretched in places.
In the case of another known covering of this type, as is disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,344,034, individual lengths of sheeting are first joined by welding the edges together to form an envelope. The object to be stored is then placed on one part of the envelope and the latter is drawn over to cover the object and then tightly closed. The aforementioned problems involved in handling the cover are also encountered here.
The main disadvantage of all known coverings is the fact that the length of the areas to be closed is relatively great, thus increasing the likelihood of leaks in the course of time. Account must also be taken here of the fact that even-surfaced sheeting is used to cover objects of uneven shape, inevitably causing the sheeting to crease, which again leads to difficulties when closing the cover.